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If I hear another “but Europe does it”.... Sadly The US provides Europe its defense enabling them to put more of their high taxes towards sub-par healthcare systems since again, they don’t have to do things like defend themselves or NATO allies. I’ll start looking to Europe for solutions when they fund their own defense, don’t pay $6+ per gallon of gas, don’t steal 50% of citizens incomes etc. etc.

Joint Base Balad, Iraq SNCO: Sir, your mustache is out of regs. Capt (F-16/Guard): And you're fat, which means you are out of regs as well. Immense laughter erupts from gaggle of F-16 pilots. Next day, everyone was required to shave their mustaches by the Gp/CC. Man..this story was epic.

Allow me to break it down. From the 1980s to about the mid 2000s... Army aviators wore a green flight suit. Air Force aviators wore a green flight suit. Soldiers wore the woodland camouflage BDUs. Airmen wore the woodland camouflage BDUs. ....and everything was ok. Then we went through a shit storm of uniform changes and ended up with the disasters that were the ABU, ACU and I’ll even throw the Navy blue shipwreck in for good measure. Now, starting on 1 Oct 2018 Army Aviators wear A2CUs. Air Force aviators wear either green flight suits or A2CUs. Soldiers will wear OCPs. Airmen will wear OCPs. ....and everything will be OK.

So buy up a 100 or so T-53s (Cirrus SR-20s) like they have at the Zoo, divide among RPA units & TA-DA! the ACE program is reborn. Of course under a whole new name so everyone thinks this is some brand new idea....

Because after two decades of flying RPAs, this is the first ever paired manned flying program. What happens when you pull pilots from the cockpit and stick them in a shipping container for 4 years? You get crusty bitter old pilots like me who hate the Air Force.

Screw the Army, I joined the Air Force.

Puhleezzz...if your liberal utopian vision of universal healthcare is what they are doing in the UK I sincerely hope you never need medical attention. The NHS system in the UK is in full on meltdown, they themselves have stated they are Condition BLACK. Analysis by the Royal College of Surgeons found that over the past year an average of 193,406 people a month did not get surgery within 18 weeks of being referred. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/13/193000-nhs-patients-a-month-waiting-beyond-target-for-surgery

This is a god damn waste of money for no reason. Make the shoes wear blues and let us keep our bags.

...oh the things I can't say because I'm NATO right now...

I'm not doing your homework. You want it changed, you propose your solutions complete with how it's funded. I've got popcorn to make...

Paragraph 1.4.13 says you can’t go TDY during PC application process without coordination between CC/DO and AFPC, the update also says “Exception: Does not apply to aircrew members.” The intent of the exception should be to allow aircrew to continue to execute missions while awaiting PC results, but I could see it being utilized for nefarious purposes.

As was mentioned before, homogenous means people think alike and thus it is easier to come to consensus and pass common laws. If you’ve ever been to Japan you know what I’m talking about. The Japanese are wonderful people, but most of them are not just ethnically homogenous but culturally as well. Most act, think and even speak alike. Also consider this, in Japan - it is considered a grave family sin to be a dead beat in society. You won’t see many homeless people. They are all ingrained with a common sense of work ethic and crime is pretty much non existent. Thus, things like socialized medicine and even strict gun laws work there - the same can’t be said about the US.

So to the socialized medicine we already have: Medicaid Medicare VA DoD Tricare Ladies and gentlemen, the defense rests... Friend of the court brief: Look up how big a deficit the oft-touted British NHS runs year after year with significant growth for each year.

It's quite interesting how insults have changed over the years. In any case, I don't, so you're safe from me (for now). ~Bendy

It won’t matter what it costs to supporters of the system, they’ll continue to pull numbers out of thin air because on the end all that needs to be done is establish the government program. Once it’s built it’ll never be removed short of the total collapse of the government and the people at the head of the show (Warren/Sanders/etc) know this. It’ll be no different than social security; an entity which in no way was formed to be what is is for so many millions of Americans today (a crappy retirement program). But now it’s so engraved into stone as an “entitlement” when it was really designed to be “the social protection to keep you from dying in the street as destitute when despite your best efforts the system crushes you,” that you can move millions of votes to your side or the other simply by saying we need to do something to fix it.

Here is your weekly Flight Physical update. Below is the list in order of what I did for my physical and a short description of each test. I will do my best to maintain the integrity of tests and not give any answers away, but also try to give as much detail as I can to help prep you all for your exams. I stayed at the on base hotel (google maps wright-Patterson inns and it will take you right there) I was in Group 1 which consisted of a combination of civilians, Guard, Reserve, and ROTC folks. (group 2 looked like all ROTC). We all rallied in room 100 of building 840 (google maps USAFSAM and it will take you there)(parking guidance is in page 3 of this thread) like everyone else here has talked about. Yes, there was a TV, VHS tapes, two DVDs, a barely functioning PS2 for videos, and a non-functioning VHS/DVD combo player. If I would have known half the stuff didn't work...I may have just brought my own Blu-ray player and some seasons of game of thrones and hooked it up. The staff are super laid back, and probably wouldn't have cared. Enough of that...let's get into the meat and potatoes of this post Day 1 Activities EKG they put probes on your body and take readings. nothing crazy. Medical History go into an office and go over your medical history. This is typically the "shut your mouth" phase of a physical OVT (depth perception and near/far) I read through all the posts for tips and tricks on this. I went all the way through groups A-F twice (with different patterns) and can confirm that the tips in this forum are accurate except the "no repeating theory." If I remember correctly, I had one in each test with repeats. So keep doing your eye exercises and you should be fine. I practiced the Magic Eye 3D Books (checked them out from local library), and also practiced the "Brock String" eye exercise (really helpful youtube videos to explain the exercise) Red Lens test They will have these "glasses" that have two "frames" on them. The guy will hold a light up in front of a "grid" on the wall with one hand. With the other hand he positions one of the sets of frames in front of your eyes. Each set has a red lens and the other is a clear. One set of frames the clear lens at a different angle and makes you see double. The instructor will move the light around the grid, while also switching "frames" that are in front of your eyes. Your goal is to tell him if you see double, or you see a mix of the two. I didn't get it at first (sounds stupid right), but as said before, the techs are awesome and help you out even when you're a dummy like me. Hearing you will be put in a glass case of emotion and listening for the most faint beeps and bloops ever. Leave your cell phone outside...on airplane mode. Hold your headphone cable and your remote cable from touching the wall. You are in a sound proof box where it is easier to hear your own heart beat than these beeps they are testing you on. I have heard of some guys wearing earplugs on the airplane flight over to keep their ears from compressing from the loud sound and pressure change....go for it...I cant confirm this to be effective as I drove to my appointment, but it sounds like a great idea to me. Vitals blood pressure and heart rate stuff...nothing crazy Eye Pressure/Measurement this is the..."look here!" and blast your eye with air test...and look into this bright thing so I can take picture of your eye ball! Again, nothing crazy, just follow directions and you're good to go Dental Dentist looks at your grill. CCT (color blindness) so I was told the actual CCT was the old test and they now use something different (which I took). You looked at a computer, the tech measured the distance you needed to sit away from it. You wear a patch over one eye to test the open eye. The light go out, they hand you a video game controller. Your goal is to look at the image on the machine and tell what direction it is pointing. The image you are looking at is a letter "C." You push the appropriate button in the direction the letter opening is facing (up, down, right, left on the A/B/X/Y pad). As you go through the test the image will get dimmer and dimmer. Then it will start over in a different color. you do red, green, blue. Then, switch the patch onto the other eye and do it again. This test is timed. You get 4 seconds per iteration. Skynet Robot Eye Scanning Machine... I don't know what this is called but i'm pretty sure I have a serial number on my eyeballs now. you look into a machine...it looks like a red laser pointer being shot right into your eye. then a green "star" appears with a dot in the middle. Focus on the dot while they do their science experiments Lens Topography Again, bright lights in the eye balls while they do science. This one makes you feel like you are in the movie clockwork orange, or tron. They are measuring the curvature of your lens and the thickness. I was told I had a thicker than normal lens...I got worried...he said it was cool...it's better to be over than under for that one. Psych Battery This is the 4 hour computer testing where you are answering all sorts of "do you hear voices in your head" kind of questions. What I didn't read about this test from this thread before taking it was the other stuff that wasn't as silly. There were lot of "mind games." It was fun at times. For example...we will show you a sequence of numbers...you must type that sequence of numbers back to us in reverse order...my trick...don't memorize the numbers...memorize the keyboard sequence....worked for me...okay right, right, up 2, left 1 down 1... Other things to help you prep for this...practice mental math. This is timed, so practice techniques for adding/subtracting/dividing/multiplying numbers with 2,3,4 digits. no scratch paper, pens, or calculators. short term memory stuff. You will read a story...then do other tests...then answer questions about that story an hour later. I think the best thing you can do to prepare for this testing battery is downloading some mental exercise apps like lumosity, peak, or elevate. These are little games, that are fun and sometimes similar to what you might see here. like "click this button when you see a certain letter, or type of word. sequences of shapes, blah blah blah" Day 2 Activities Labs Pee and Bleed... all you can do to prep is read the welcome letter instructions about staying hydrated before and throughout the testing. I found myself not drinking nearly enough water on day 1...everyone thought we were going to pee and bleed that day and I was ready to go then...but group 2 went on day 1. Dont fall behind on water intake and don't drink alcohol 72 hours before or during the physical days. X-Ray you stand against something...make a funny pose...they take pictures...sounds like a cruel joke right? I asked if I could have a copy of my x-ray (my dad's a chiropractor so I always share x-rays with him for fun), and all I had to do was ask the front desk for a release of information form and she gave me a CD with my images...pretty cool. (i'll post them if I can)(also for fun) Flight Doc interview the flight doc goes over your records up to that point, asks some more questions, makes you touch yourself while he watches....touch your nose...(get your mind out of the gutter)...and balance on one foot. if you are going to go to IFS, he initiated a FAA class 3 physical for me since I didnt already have one. Height/Weight some guys in my group did this the first day. they kind of fit it in wherever. No big deal unless you are super huge or super small Optometry they will do another eye exam. more looking at and reading charts, follow the light, look up, look down, look through this crazy machine...ok lets dilate those babies then you wait for your eyes to whack out like a crack head. you have to wait an hour. I was seen at 1hr 20 min. and then more looking into super bright lights, and reading charts etc. Here I discovered I have a slight far sightedness...even though I don't require glasses. The doc said, I may need a waiver, but he couldn't tell until after he dilated me. Even if I did need it, he assured me that it wasn't a show stopper, they would just process the paperwork like it was no big deal. After he gave my eyeballs a thorough look over...he said he was comfortable with my numbers and wouldn't need to push a waiver through. As stated before...attitude is everything. Enjoy your time there. Don't make your techs hate their job that day because of you. Help other people get through the process, carpool, see the museum (if you can even see after dilation), and be a good sport overall. Another thing, don't worry about it as much as I did. Prepare...but don't fret. Go there, do the best you can at things you can prepare for, and understand that everyone there wants to see you succeed. It is very evident when you are there that they are on your side. I hope this helps everyone out. I'm hoping to get the good news in a couple weeks along with my other partners in crime that I shared those halls with. Thank you to @stuckindayton, @GDAL, and @FlyArmy for your input and the information you provided in this forum to help me and all the other hopefuls out there. p.s.....sorry for the long post

Bendy, if you have a twitter account, you could be President someday soon.

Does one need to learn how to think in Russian to fly this Firefox you speak of?

Got to love a ride or die major. I love FGOs who will take on the SNCOs. SNCOs: We can't have alcohol at this venue. Me sitting in for CC: We are having alcohol. CC later: Yes, there will be alcohol.

While Congress certainly shares blame, I call bullshit on this. If the AF really wants to pay us more, and it’s just mean old Congress stopping them - then why in the name of God does the AF elect to pay LESS flight pay than Congress authorized them to pay?

When I was checking into my ops squadron after my FAIP tour, I got chiefed in the hallway for having an AETC patch on my leather jacket and not an ACC one. I said something to the effect of “Copy that, thanks” to the chief. She got butt hurt for me not apologizing about the patch and for not taking it off right away. Another NCO came to me later that day and told me she was bothered by my reaction. I told him to tell her to come and talk to me if she has a problem, and I could not care less about the patch, and I’ll buy an ACC one as soon as the BX restocks them. But I will be wearing my leather jacket in the mean time. AETC patch and all. She then went to the commander about me being an arrogant officer in need of correction. Luckily, the commander didn’t give a shit. But good hell. We make life so damn hard on ourselves. I don’t think the AF can handle something as simple as multiple uniform options, because we have promoted and empowered the douchiest amongst us. Zero chance we don’t fuck that up.

Are dudes seriously stopping you to make sure your crew matches? So glad the CSAF's statements on focusing on "multi-domain warfare" have reaches the masses... Oh wait, I forgot. It is the war on Airman.

Yeah man, I’m out there because I’ve lived on the economy of a country with all the awesome free health care, gun control, free college etc etc. It’s not so awesome otherwise it’d be working and I wouldn’t have neighbors asking me if I know how their kids could get to the USA so they can have opportunity. Why would anyone give up all that awesome free sh-t?!! WHY?? CNN says it’s awesome...it’s Democratic socialism...everyone gets free stuff..safety nets, it’s terrific. Oh, it’s because it’s not free. It’s paid for with high taxes, fees on everything, loss of economic opportunity, lower std of living etc.

If wearing the bag is a make/break thing you may have some serious life prioritization issues

Something I finally agree with you on

Because some staff idiot somewhere decided they needed to leave their mark on the AF instead of continuing with heritage. They most likely turned it into an OPR/EPR bullet that got them promoted... Retirement can’t come soon enough...

note: I just grabbed this off the interwebs for the "old man" visual. I am not a member Facebook nor the group listed on the picture's lower right corner.

Seems legit...day 29/30: “Waiver request denied. Enjoy your new ADSC now that you can’t 7-day opt.”

Maybe they need to curtail their flight training program hours and add some VR study time.

Don't you take my bag away Air Force

T-Mobile has a great cell phone plan for military. They are offering the T-Mobile One unlimited plan at 20-50% off depending on how many phones you have: https://www.t-mobile.com/offers/military-phone-plans I’m paying $80 for unlimited everything on 2 phones which includes free Netflix (if you already have Netflix, they take over the payments), international roaming, hotspot, etc.

Standby for Space peoples' QUEEP to increase ten fold as every wannabe Chief of Staff starts padding their resumes to get into a command roll...